Published: 2015-07-08
Key Benefits:
The following property of the defendant is subject to attachment:
(a) Where the defendant is a corporation, all corporate property for which a method of levy is provided by Article 2 (commencing with Section 488.300) of Chapter 8.
(b) Where the defendant is a partnership or other unincorporated association, all partnership or association property for which a method of levy is provided by Article 2 (commencing with Section 488.300) of Chapter 8.
(c) Where the defendant is a natural person, all of the following property:
(1) Interests in real property except leasehold estates with unexpired terms of less than one year.
(2) Accounts receivable, chattel paper, and general intangibles arising out of the conduct by the defendant of a trade, business, or profession, except any such individual claim with a principal balance of less than one hundred fifty dollars ($150).
(3) Equipment.
(4) Farm products.
(5) Inventory.
(6) Final money judgments arising out of the conduct by the defendant of a trade, business, or profession.
(7) Money on the premises where a trade, business, or profession is conducted by the defendant and, except for the first one thousand dollars ($1,000), money located elsewhere than on such premises and deposit accounts, but, if the defendant has more than one deposit account or has at least one deposit account and money located elsewhere than on the premises where a trade, business, or profession is conducted by the defendant, the court, upon application of the plaintiff, may order that the writ of attachment be levied so that an aggregate amount of one thousand dollars ($1,000) in the form of such money and in such accounts remains free of levy.
(8) Negotiable documents of title.
(9) Instruments.
(10) Securities.
(11) Minerals or the like (including oil and gas) to be extracted.
(d) In the case of a defendant described in subdivision (c), community property of a type described in subdivision (c) is subject to attachment if the community property would be subject to enforcement of the judgment obtained in the action in which the attachment is sought. Unless the provision or context otherwise requires, if community property that is subject to attachment is sought to be attached:
(1) Any provision of this title that applies to the property of the defendant or to obligations owed to the defendant also applies to the community property interest of the spouse of the defendant and to obligations owed to either spouse that are community property.
(2) Any provision of this title that applies to property in the possession or under the control of the defendant also applies to community property in the possession or under the control of the spouse of the defendant.
(Amended by Stats. 1982, Ch. 1198, Sec. 46. Operative July 1, 1983, by Sec. 70 of Ch. 1198.)
Except as provided in paragraph (2) of subdivision (a) of Section 3439.07 of the Civil Code, the following property is exempt from attachment:
(a) All property exempt from enforcement of a money judgment.
(b) Property which is necessary for the support of a defendant who is a natural person or the family of such defendant supported in whole or in part by the defendant.
(c) “Earnings” as defined by Section 706.011.
(d) All property not subject to attachment pursuant to Section 487.010.
(Amended by Stats. 1986, Ch. 383, Sec. 7.)
(a) The recording of a homestead declaration (as defined in Section 704.910) does not limit or affect the right of a plaintiff to attach the declared homestead described in the homestead declaration, whether the homestead declaration is recorded before or after the declared homestead is attached.
(b) An attachment lien attaches to a homestead (as defined in Section 704.710) in the amount of any surplus over the total of the following:
(1) All liens and encumbrances on the homestead at the time the attachment lien is created.
(2) The homestead exemption set forth in Section 704.730.
(c) Nothing in subdivision (a) or (b) limits the right of the defendant to an exemption under subdivision (b) of Section 487.020.
(d) Notwithstanding subdivision (b), a homestead (as defined in Section 704.710) is exempt from sale to the extent provided in Section 704.800 when it is sought to be sold to enforce the judgment obtained in the action in which the attachment was obtained.
(Added by Stats. 1982, Ch. 1198, Sec. 47.5. Operative July 1, 1983, by Sec. 70 of Ch. 1198.)
(a) At any time prior to the entry of judgment in the action, the defendant may claim any exemption provided by subdivision (a) of Section 487.020 with respect to real property by following the procedure set forth in Article 2 (commencing with Section 703.510) of Chapter 4 of Division 2 of Title 9. A claim of exemption under this subdivision shall be denied if the claim has been denied earlier in the action.
(b) At any time prior to the entry of judgment in the action, the defendant may claim the exemption provided by subdivision (b) of Section 487.020 with respect to real property either (1) by following the procedure set forth in Article 2 (commencing with Section 703.510) of Chapter 4 of Division 2 of Title 9 or (2) by following the procedure set forth in subdivision (c) of Section 482.100 except that the requirement of showing changed circumstances under subdivision (a) of Section 482.100 does not apply. A claim of exemption under this subdivision shall be denied if the claim has been denied earlier in the action and there is no change in circumstances affecting the claim.
(c) For the purposes of this section, references in Article 2 (commencing with Section 703.510) of Chapter 4 of Division 2 of Title 9 to the “judgment debtor” shall be deemed references to the defendant, and references to the “judgment creditor” shall be deemed references to the plaintiff.
(d) Nothing in this section limits the right to claim after the entry of judgment a homestead exemption for real property under Article 4 (commencing with Section 704.710) of Chapter 4 of Division 2 of Title 9 unless prior to entry of judgment the defendant has claimed the exemption provided by subdivision (a) of Section 487.020 with respect to such property and the claim has been denied.
(Added by Stats. 1982, Ch. 1198, Sec. 48. Operative July 1, 1983, by Sec. 70 of Ch. 1198.)
